What Is.. Sound Healing

In the past year or so I’ve been so blessed to experience sound healing on a really deep level. A very close friend of mine Audrey, the founder of CoreState, is a qualified Sound Healer + she’s been so kind to do some bespoke sessions with me, tailoring the direction of each to my specific needs at each given session.

I am a huge believer in so many wellness modalities + practices, implementing many into my own life on a daily, weekly basis. But with this particular one I will admit that before my more recent experiences of sound baths with Audrey, I understood the practice to be a more fanciful type of self-care - something I always loved however, somehow not as justifiable in my mind as say my weekly therapy call or my gym membership + rather something of an occasional indulgence. It felt, to me, like more of an expensive way to take a nap as I’ve always found myself drifting off in any of the sessions I’d been to over the years. Despite this though, I always felt a sense of inner calm coming out the other side. And man, is it so much more than an expensive nap I’ve come to believe. It’s deeply healing. The more I’ve practiced the more I’ve realised the deeper meaning of it + the benefit of it’s not-so-woo-woo magic.

Sound healing, or therapy, might seem like it’s just popped up in recent times but it is in fact an ancient holistic healing practice that holds many therapeutic values. As humans we have used sound as a way to communicate, express, celebrate, heal + restore for thousands of years, transcending cultures, geography + belief systems. From the ancient mantras of yogic + Tibetan practices to more modern ways like The Haka, a sound + dance ritual performed by the New Zealand rugby team at the beginning of each game to showcase, in ceremony, their courage + determination. At a basic yet powerful level, think about how music can change the way you feel, it can help shift a dark + heavy mood into something more tolerable; taking us from overwhelm to a somewhat calmer state. Sound has been healing us for a long time.

Sound baths are an elevated version of this. Now backed by science, the point of sessions like an actual sound bath is to bring us, as entire beings, from imbalance into balance. To encourage a homeostasis state. The practice works wonders to switch on the parasympathetic nervous system, something I’m understanding more + more of late + the importance of it’s activation in nurturing the rest + digest side of our system which is becoming more vital with this very fast paced, high stress world we find ourselves in 2023.

And not only is it something for the soul to enjoy + explore, for anyone slightly on the more cynical side of the fence, it is scientifically proven to work on a cellular level. The sounds + vibrations of this modality are essentially frequencies created by + flow through the tools used by your practitioner that enter the conscious + subconscious, the physical + subtle energy fields within + around our body encouraging a state of wholeness. Reducing stress in general is a positive thing of course but at this cellular level the body + mind reap a lot of very tangible + long-lasting rewards. From regulation of the immense system, slowing the heart rate, supporting the production of melatonin which aids in a natural sleep flow along with lowering blood pressure, the prolonged effect is that it nurtures the longevity + quality of our mind, body + life in gerneral. For my fellow sleepers, I’ve also learned that dosing off is a sign of going deep while in a sound bath so it may, in one way, act as a nap but it’s definitely an elevated + high healing one so don’t worry about nodding off during a session.

Check out Audrey’s work HERE where you can book in with her for a private session, attend one of her groups or online classes.

What Is.. Forest Bathing

Full disclosure, forest bathing sounds slightly more elaborate than it is. You don’t need your swimsuit, not even a towel + actually it is not even really an organised event as such. Forest bathing is simply the act of mindfully immersing oneself in nature; bathing our senses rather than our bodies. However it is the effects of forest bathing that are so much more interesting than the now trendy term often appears. As old as nature itself, the expression was only coined in the ‘80’s when the Japanese put structure to what cultures around the world have historically used for thousands of years: the irreplaceable healing effects of the natural world on human well-being.

Seen as an antidote to a rather aggressive emergence of the tech-boom, shinrin-yoku as it is known in Japanese, was a welcomed remedy to the then very stressful environments materialising in the workplace throughout Japan. In fact it was seen to be so effective on people’s health that the Japanese government began prescribing it for highly-stressed-out workers. By the ‘90’s, researchers were becoming more + more interested in the positive impact the practice was having on people’s mental + physical well-being that they began looking into the benefits for everyone no matter the scale of stress. What distinguishes forest bathing from a simple walk though? Great question. Well, striping everything back to the power of our senses has significant capacity to decrease anxiety + depression; working to slow everything down in the mind positively feeds through into the body as greater embodied level of overall health. As we become more aware of how detrimental mental stress is to the physical body we actually have more ability to heal ourselves than ever before. And as is often typical of the most powerful healing tools, it really is simple.

These days there are many trending groups coming to light with professional guides to take you on mindfulness / meditative walks all over the world. Some therapists - see Hike Psych as one example - are even taking sessions outdoors in an effort to further influence the work done during psychotherapy treatment. Some things to consider though if you decide to embark upon a more immersive experience in nature yourself are to leave your phone behind if it’s safe to do so. Being present with the capacity to connect with the world around you is the only real focus. As wonderful as it is to go with others, try it by yourself if you’re looking to tap into your innate ability to heal + hone a more focused ability to tune out the world + into your intuitive powers. Don’t clock your walk or time on any device, it’s about mindfulness without judgement, not achievement of any kind, especially not steps, calories or distance. As you step away from the distractions of your everyday world, seek to bring awareness to your senses, ask yourself, what do I see? What can I hear? What does it feel like to touch the trees or how does it feel to walk over the different textures of the forests floor? Can I smell anything?

There’s just one question left, are you ready to feel the power of nature in a whole new way?

Yoga Mats Worth Investing In

Whether you bring your own mat to the studio or prefer practicing at home in your own environment, a mat you really cherish is an important element upon which to begin your yoga journey - or for those who may have practiced for years, something to treat yourself to. In saying that, I acknowledge entirely that our mats + the asana we do on them are just one part of the yogi life. Yet it’s nice to invest love + energy into the space upon which you come to practice with intention + conscious purpose. Mats are often seen as simply a functional object but they represent a grounding, a connection between us + the earth that deserves to be loved + enjoyed. Here are some incredible ones to consider.

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C A S A L L

Conceived by instructors + medical experts, the Casall yoga mat has won awards for it’s specifically dynamic design which focuses on exceptional grip + luxurious cushioning. The brand’s innately sleek design makes for a beautiful mat to flow on, thanks to the brand’s Swedish roots.

€99.95 // Shop HERE

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F U R O S T U D I O S

The 01 Series Yoga Mat by Furo Studios, another beautiful manifestation of the genius that is Swedish design, is the pinnacle of Furö Studios sustainable yoga accessories collection as brought to life by Jesper + Frida Starvid. The mat is designed around the idea of your space, minimalist so that you can focus on your alignment it offers immense grip under pressure + like all the best mats out there, it’s natural rubber materials act as an enhanced shock absorber so that your joints are supported fully.

€160 // Shop HERE

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B Y O G A

Whether in the studio or practicing at home, B Yoga`s B MAT Strong Yoga Mat is a strong choice for your everyday rituals but also amazing for it’s minimal weight which means you can easily transport it with you so, no matter where you are, home is where your mat is. Some of my favourite studios (The Class in NYC for one) use B YOGA mats.

€99.95 // Shop HERE

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K O K O N I

The idea of slow living as a way of being was really brought home in 2019 with the creation of Koko ni (meaning here) mats by husband + wife team James + Bianca Stephenson. With the idea that objects carry energy, the mats are made with energetical intention + manifest in physical form with natural tree rubber + luxurious recycled vegan suede. These mats are not only incredibly loving to the environment but also aesthetically beautiful; proving to be something not just to practice on but to complement your environment, a piece for your home. With this one, I must admit, home on the mat never felt so chic.

£98 // Shop HERE

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P A N G A I A

Made from natural rubber for extra cushioning along with algae + pre-consumer Eva, all of which ensure this mat is 100% repurposing materials from landfills + making your time on the mat that bit more meaningful.

€100 // Shop HERE

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** Disclaimer, some of the links in this article are affiliate links, meaning if you click through + decide to purchase the item, I get a small percentage of the price. Commission is only transferred if you purchase however. You do not pay any more than the store’s recommend retail price.